


Her Loss, Strangers Gain

by DisturbingVision



Series: Being Enough [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Implied Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-23
Updated: 2015-06-23
Packaged: 2018-04-05 19:00:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4191324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisturbingVision/pseuds/DisturbingVision
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma reflects on her relationship with Regina and meets a stranger in the process. Regina's moved on will she?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Her Loss, Strangers Gain

Emma sat at the bar swirling what was left of the beer in her hand trying to stop thinking about those lips, that laugh, that smile, and those eyes. They haunted her no matter where she was. Every time she tried to sleep her dreams tortured her and she’d awaken hoping it was all a bad dream but she was living her nightmare. That’s why she found herself in the dimly lit bar now drinking away her life while the case she’s been working on was now on the back burner. She’d get to it tomorrow. All she could think about now was how forest douche had taken her place and how Regina had ripped her apart. And oh god they were playing their song. The one that she would whisk Regina across the kitchen in an impromptu dance whenever it came on, and now she’s dancing with another. She wonders if it’s the same song. The one that now sounds like static to her ears as the world seems to still run even if the blonde is stuck in her past.

Every day is like this. She goes through the motions but she’s not there. She’s lost and aching so fiercely that sometimes she swears she can feel her still even if they are no longer connected in anyway other than Henry. Taking another swig of her beer she looks across the bar to find a pair of eyes connected to a body she could get lost in making her way towards her.

“Hey there,” the angelic voice purred.

“Hi,” Emma was curt. SUre the woman looked like sex on a stick, but any woman compared to her was second best, “No offence but I’m not in the mood.”

Smiling the dark haired woman sighed, “So who was she?”

Deciding on whether to talk about the woman she missed Emma stared at the countertop, “She was the best thing that happened to me, besides our son.”

“Damn,” came the low whistle, “Mind if I ask what happened?”

“Do you really care?”

“Well you obviously need someone to talk to it about, so why not a complete stranger?”

That actually pulled a laugh from Emma as she sipped her drink again before cringing, it had become warm, but she was paying for it so she continued to drink, “Well if you’re going to listen to me I guess I should introduce myself,” she turned to the woman beside her who was sipping on her own beer, “Emma, Emma swan.”

“Nice to meet you Swan, my names Avery, now tell me what was her name?”

Watching as the blonde seemed to drift off into a memory Avery wondered how someone was able to let Emma go, especially with that look of love in her eyes that seemed too good to be true. In the blondes case it probably was, “Regina, her name was Regina.”

“A beautiful name,” she smiled.

“Yeah it means Queen, and she was one.” the wistful tone in which Emma spoke was heartbreaking. Avery just wanted to hold her in that moment even if the had only known each other for a few minutes, “And she was the love of my life.”

Silently waiting for the blonde to continue Avery studied her eyes how they brightened with the thought of the woman but then as quickly as the light was there it was gone, “I loved her and she shattered me to pieces.” pulling something out of her pocket Avery noticed the velvet box the blonde played with, “I was going to ask her to marry me,” she scoffed at the thought now knowing she was most likely planning on what color her and forest boy’s wedding colors should be.

Opening the box after it was slid to her dark blue pools settled on the most simple yet heartfelt engagement ring she’d ever seen. The band was gold and thin, a purple amethyst sat in its center surrounded by smaller diamonds. It was beautiful and custom no doubt but what had brought this woman here instead of being with the other mother of her son?

As if sensing Avery’s question Emma spoke, “She found someone else...her soulmate as some would put it.”

“And you didn’t fight for her?”

Turning from solemn to angry in sixty flat the blonde hit the table, “Fight for her? Fight for her? I tried. I tried and she brushed me off as if I were some simple one night stand that had been warming her bed for three years prior to this point and not the woman who brought her lunch, or made her smile, or even made her feel stronger for feeling human. No instead she made me feel like the former sheriff before me and how they would sneak around. The difference was I had my heart and willingly gave it to her to crush.”

“I see,” she regretted even asking the woman why she hadn’t fought. From what she just heard this Regina tore this woman apart in the worst way possible, “What about the kid?”

“Henry?”

“Yeah.”  
“He seemed upset, but from what I hear he’s getting better. I’ll be seeing him for the first time in,” she counted on her fingers, “three months and that’s only because I had to move back here and get a job. So it’ll be nice to see him again.”

“I bet,” Avery smiled seeing the hope return to green eyes, “So what do your parents think about it?”

Chuckling Emma glanced at Avery, “So full of questions aren’t you?”

“Just thought it’d be easier to pass the time,” she chuckled back.

“Fair enough, and they’re okay I guess. They weren’t really supportive of our relationship at first anyways and by the time they were getting to be okay with it she decided to end it. So they’re on amicable terms and understand why she did what she did. Secretly I’m sure they’re happy about it, but…”

“So was it the gay thing they didn’t deal with well?”

“No, more so the fact that my ex and mother have a complicated history,” Avery blanched and Emma was quick to clarify, “And by that I mean my ex is the mayor of a small town and my mother and her never got along. Some would say they used to be rather murderous around each other.”

“Ah,” she sighed knowing it wasn’t what she was thinking at first, “And who’s this ‘soulmate’ of hers?” she used finger quotes and rolled her eyes at the word. Hell the idea of soulmate’s was pretty stupid and the fact that some people judge it as fact is absurd.

“His name is Robin Hood,” that earned a laugh, “No I’m serious.”

Cheeks burned red as the dark haired woman contained a laugh, “Really?” the mirth was in her voice.

“Yeah but I call him Douche Hood,” she raised her bottle as if toasting his name, “Rolls off the tongue much better I say.”

“Agreed” she tapped her own bottle against Emma’s, “So what’s wrong with him?”

“Besides the fact his resting face looks like he has to take a dump? Not much. I mean he’s an okay guy trying to raise his son which I can get but to lose her to basically a male copy of me is bullshit.”

“Well from what I can tell it’s her loss and my gain.”

Staring into the inviting blue pools Emma was buzzed enough to go through with it, but should she? Would she wake up tomorrow feeling worse than she already did? Who knows.

“I guess so,” she smiled and paid for their drinks before leaving with Avery into the night. What came after was a question for tomorrow. Regina had chosen, so why couldn’t Ema try to move on.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> SO what did you think let me know.


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